This invention relates generally to the field of toilets, and more particularly to a toilet accessory.
Since time immemorial man has used the squatting position to perform his bodily functions. Infants of every culture instinctively adopt this posture as the most comfortable and effective way to relieve themselves. The modern seat-like toilet, on the other hand, is a relatively recent innovation. It was invented in Western Europe a few centuries ago, as a way of distinguishing "civilized man" from the "primitive peoples" who inhabit the rest of the world.
This deviation from the human body's natural mode of functioning is considered by many health practitioners to be a factor in a number of disorders that affect the people of westernized countries. Complaints such as constipation, hernias (from straining on the toilet), hemorrhoids (from pressure on the rectum in the sifting position) and twisted colon syndrome (from misalignment of the intestines) are some of the ailments linked to the use of the seat-like toilet. In addition, experts in colon cleansing have asserted that the areas of the colon most susceptible to malignant tumors are the same areas which are not fully evacuated in the sitting posture.
Reports of the beneficial effects of switching from the sitting to the squatting position include greater speed and comfort in elimination and relief from hemorrhoids. Persuasive clinical data on the use of-this method to treat hemorrhoids appears in U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,277 held by Berko Sikirov.
Another motivating factor behind the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive way for immigrants to westernized countries to use the toilet in the way they are accustomed to.